Fingerprint machine and method



March 11, 1930. c. F. GLASS FINGERPRINT MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed Aug. 29, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet ue-wtoz March 11, 1930. c, F. GLASS "FINGERPRINT MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed Aug. 29. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES CHARLES F. GLASS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FINGERPRINT MACHINE PATENT OFFICE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEXV YORK FINGEBPRINT MACHINE AND METHOD Application filed August 29, 1919, Serial No. 320,593. Renewed. Gctober 1, 1926.

This invention relates to means whereby records of finger prints may be expeditiously, accurately and permanently accomplished and also to a method for accomplishing this result.

It is well known that a print of a persons finger affords an unassailable means of identification of the person and also that such a record is practically impossible to forge. While finger print records are recognized as unique and valuable for the purposes inclicated and in fact have been made use of in connection with the identification of crimr nals and the like and in other uses wherein neatness and expedition was not imperative, the identification by finger prints has not gone into general use in mercantile pursuits. The reasons for this probably are that in many cases the print was secured by smearing the impressed finger with a pigment before the impression was taken or in other instances, a print to which pigment had been applied was photographed. Obviously a busy executive could not put up with the untidiness of one method or the clumsiness of the other in attaching his identification mark to checks and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby it is unnecessary to smear the finger of which the print is to be taken, and by which finger prints can be ex peditiously taken with accuracy and simplicit A further object of the invention is to promay be accomplished.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate'the invention- Fig. 1 is a top plan view, the cover being partly broken away of apparatus embodying the invention of means and by which the method may be carried out;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, the casing being partially broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view partly broken 0 away of an apparatus whereby a plurality of vide a method whereby the above results checks or the like may receive finger impressions at the same time.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a box or casing 1, within which adjacent the opposite sides of the casing respectively, are mounted the similar supports or pedestals 2 and 3. In these pedestals is journaled the shaft 4 upon which is mounted the spur gear 5. Meshing with the gear 5 is the gear 6 upon the shaft 7 journaled in the supports 2 and 3, this gear 6 meshing with the gear 8 upon the shaft 9 journaled in the supports 2 and 3, the gear 8 also being in engagement with a gear 10 fixed upon the shaft 11 journaled in the supports 2 and 3. Fixed to the shaft 7 is a crank 12 fitted with a handle 13 which may be grasped by the operator to turn the shaft. Fixed upon the shaft 4: are two pulley wheels 14 and 15 upon which run the belts 16 and 17 for conveying the paper upon which the im print is to be made. The belts 16 and 17 also pass about the pulleys 18 and 19 rotatably mounted in a pedestal block 20 resting upon the bottom of the casing and which may be moved back and forth to regulate the tightness of the belts by means of a screw 21, which engages with a lug 22 fixed to the casing and also with a lug 23 secured to the bed plate of the pedestal 20. The screw 21 extends to the outside of the casing where it is provided with a thumb nut 24 for turning it. Secured to the belts are clips 25 and 26 each of which may be riveted to the belt at one end and at the other is free so as to permit the check or other paper to be slipped under it. To the tops of the clips are secured lugs 27 and 28 which are adapted to engage with the projections 29 and 30 from a gate 31 for the hopper 32 for containing the pigment. The gate 31 is supported on swinging arms 33 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 34. mounted in the sides of the hopper. A spring 35 tends to draw the gate into position to close the hopper and it is moved into position to open the mouth of the hopper and permit the pigment to run out by means of lugs 27 and 28 coming against the projections 29 and 30. After the imprinted surface has passed the mouth of the hopper it is agitated by means of curved arms 36 attached to the spider 37, fixed on the rotating shaft 11, these arms knocking against the bottom of the paper and shaking off any surplus pigment which has been supplied to the printed surface, after it passes the mouth of the hopper. This surplus falls upon the chute or guide 38 down which it slides into the drawer 39 which may be removed by sliding out at the side of the casing 1, a handle 40 being provided for removing the drawer in the usual way. It will be observed that the drawer slides upon the bottom of the casing and is guided in its movement by the angle irons tl and 42 between which it slides and which are secured to the casing bottom. The chute 38 may be supported from the casing in any suitable manner as by the uprights 4-3 and 44: extending upwardly from the bottom of the casing to which they are secured. After the surplus pigment has been removed as described, the belts carry the paper onwardly toward the heater comprising the heating means consisting of an electric resistor coil enciosed in a heat insulating casing 46 which conserves heat and confines it to the location where it is wanted.

Sliding upon the top of the casing 46 is a cover 47 normally drawn into position to cover the opening 48 by springs 49. This cover is provided with lugs one of which is shown in 51 adapted to be engaged by the lugs 52 and 53 secured to the plates 54- and 55 secured to the under sides of the belts 16 and 17.

As the conveyor moves to carry the impressed surface into position over the opening 48, this surface having been supplied with pigmentand the surplus pigment removed as before described, the lid 47 *ill be pushed to the right thereby exposing the pigment-ized surface to the heat issuing from the casing 46, whereupon it will be melt-ed or fused and, running into the interstices of the surface upon which it is placed. will become fixed thereon. It is not desired to be understood,

however, that it is necessary for pigment to enter within the surface as just referred to, as it may become fixed by causing it to be fused or melted when it may stick to the exterior of the surface without penetrating Within it. The surface, such as a paper check or the like, may then be removed from the vicinity of the heat when it will become cool and not easily eradicated.

To trace the operation, a paper upon which an imprint is desired to be made, such as a bank check. is inserted within the casing through the hinged door '56 provided for the purpose and has its ends secured to the conveying belts by slippii 7; them under the. clips 25 and 26. The door 56 is then closed, but an opening 57 of suitable size for admitting the finger provides a means whereby the finger may be impressed upon the paper midway between the conveying belts. This having been done, there is formed upon the surface to be. imprinted, an area conforming to the lines of the finger which is coated with the moisture or any secretions existing upon the finger. The handle 13 is then turned, moving the tops of the conveying belts toward the right. The finger printed portion of the check which lies between the belts 16 and 17 is therefor moved under the mouth of the hopp r 32, the lugs 27 and 28 operating to open the gate 31 and allowing the pigment to run out of the hopper on to the impressed surface. As this surface passes out from under the mouth of the hopper, the gate will be released and automatically close the hopper mouth. Tl e surface with the pigment upon it will then pass to a point Where it is repeatedly tapped by the arms 36. This agitation serves to distribute the pigment over the impressed surface and, a certain amount sticking to this surface by reason of the secretion thereon as before referred to, the surplus will shake off the edge of the paper on to the apron 3S, whence it will gravitate into the drawer 39 and from there may be conveyed to the hopper 82 to be again used. Having passed the agitating means, the pigmentis distributed over the impressed surface in accurately defined lines according to the lines of the finger imprinted with no surplus material to confuse these lines. The continued movement of the conveyor carries the pigmentized finger print as described over the opening 48 of the heater, the lid 47 having been slid open in .a manner before described. The surface and the pigment carried thereby is thus subjected to theheat issuing from the opening 4:8 which causes a melting or fusing of the pigment which then runs into or becomes incorporated with .the paper. If other materials were employed which were impervious to the pigment, the melting would reduce it to a sticky condition so that it would adhere to the surface after cooling. Gearing is such that one revolution of the handle 13 will carry the imprintedsurface from the point where the finger impression is made to the point of subjection to the heat as has just been described. The surface having been allowed to remain over the heater for a sutlicient period to accomplish the desired action. on the pigment, the handle 1'3 is moved in the reverse direction for one complete revolution. This will move the bank check or other imprinted surface back to the point of starting when it may be removed through the door 56, another check or surface may be placed in position and theoperation repeated indefinitely. On this return movement, the lugs 27 and 28, it will, be observed, have their sides which come against the projetcions 29 and 30, inclined so that by reason of the flexibility of the belt and other parts, the lugs 27 and 28 may .slide past the projections 29 and 30, the gate being in its closed position and incapable of moving further to the left.

A suitable pigment has been found to be black asphaltum which, in its solid condition, lends itself admirably to application to and distribution over the imprinted area as has been described. Where this material is em ployed the temperature of the heater should be from 350 to I00 degrees Fahrenheit when an exposure of the paper bearing the pigment, as before described. to the heat of the heater for about one second will cause the asphaltum to become melted or fused and securely incorporated With or affixed to the paper.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it is desirable that where a number of checks are to be finger printed by an executive, these checks be in readiness for his action, so that he may proceed with dispatch and it will not be necessary for him to Wait for his print to be pigmentized and fixed, as before described. before he an proceed with another. To this end a number of devices as 60, 61, 62, etc. may be provided, each exactly the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but instead of providing a handle 13 for each one of the devices, there is simply provided a handle 63 upon one end of the shaft 64 which extends through the series of devices and corresponds to the shaft 4: in

each. It will thus be seen that as many checks may be placed in position for printing as there are devices supplied and these may be made any number that is necessary or convenient. The executive may therefor impress his finger print upon any desired num ber of checks as rapidly as he can effect these operations. After the impression of his finger, the handle 63 may be turned thereby operating all of the devices and simultaneously pigmentizing and fixing the prints on the checks in each of the devices in a manner as already described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. After fixing, the checks may be returned to their initial positions and removed as has already been referred to.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with what are considered its best applications, the applications may be varied without departing from its spirit; the invention is not therefore, limited to the structures shown in the drawings nor to the precise details of method as recited.

What I claim is:

1. In a finger print machine, the combinaton with a casing, of a belt conveyor therein, means for securing the sheet to be printed to said conveyor, a hopper controlled by said conveyor adapted to deliver pigment to said sheet, means for agitating said sheet to remove surplus pigment and heating means controlled by said conveyor for fixing the pigment upon the imprinted surface.

2. In a machine for recording finger prints, the combination with means for supplying a pigment to a finger-impressed surface of a sheet, means for heating the pigment to fix it to the sheet and means for moving the said surface in a substantially straight line past said pigment-supplying and fixing means.

3. In a finger print machine, the combina tion with an endless conveyor of means for securing the sheet to be finger printed to said conveyor, a hopper controlled by said conveyor adapted to deliver pigment to said sheet, and heating means controlled by said conveyor for fixing the pigment upon the imprinted surface.

4:. In a finger print machine, the combination with an endless conveyor therein, means for securing the sheet to be printed to said conveyor, a hopper controlled by said conveyor adapted to deliver pigment to said sheet, means for agitating said sheet to remove the surplus pigment and heating means controlled by said conveyor for fixing the pigment upon the imprinted surface.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 22nd day of August, 1919.

CHARLES F. GLASS. 

